The present invention relates to a mechanical lift system which is particularly useful in performing laparoscopic surgery.
One of the newest types of surgical procedures is laparoscopic surgery. In such procedures several small incisions are made in a patient. A scope is inserted through one of those incisions and monitors the surgery. Surgical tools are inserted through the other incisions. By inserting a scope within the patient to monitor the surgical area, the surgeon is able to perform the surgery without making the otherwise necessary large incision to provide access to the area of the surgery. The use of such surgery has a great potential for many surgical procedures. The patient recovers much more quickly from the small incisions than the otherwise required large incisions.
In one standard laparoscopic surgery, gas is inserted into the patient's abdomen to inflate the abdomen and create a space for the scope to view the area to be treated in the surgery. The surgeon monitors the surgery on a video screen by watching a video provided by the internal scope. Surgical tools extend into the patient and perform the surgery remotely with the surgeon being guided by the video.
However, the use of gas to inflate the abdomen has several drawbacks. It is necessary that each of the incisions for the surgical tools be sealed against air leakage. Sheaths are typically inserted through each incision and the surgical tools are slid within the sheath and into the patient. The sheaths are necessarily of small diameter; and since the surgical tools must extend through the sheath, the surgical tools are also of a very small diameter. Further, the use of lasers in surgery creates smoke within the abdominal cavity. This smoke interferes with the surgeon's view of the procedure through the internal scope. It is difficult to remove the smoke or steam while maintaining an inflated abdomen.
Typically, the removal of smoke requires suction, which also removes the gas from the abdomen, causing collapse of the abdomen.
Moreover, it is often the case that the sheaths leak some air. As air leaks outwardly of the abdominal cavity, the abdomen collapses.
When the abdomen collapses, the scope is unable to provide an adequate image to the surgeon. The surgeon must thus correct the leak or in the case of smoke removal, complete the smoke removal, and then wait for the abdomen to be reinflated before continuing with surgery. Obviously, such delays are undesirable.
To replace the standard gas inflation, it has been proposed to utilize certain mechanical support structures. As an example, it has been proposed to utilize a pair of flexible wires formed into a cross to support the abdomen. In addition, the use of a rigid rod has also been disclosed. There are problems with any of these types of mechanical support systems. On one hand, the support system cannot be unduly rigid, or it could damage the abdominal wall. Further, the support system must be able to adequately support the abdominal wall without allowing the unsupported portions between the mechanical portions to droop downwardly. The prior mechanical support systems have not adequately provided these combined requirements.